People in Kinmen County should stop directing bright lights at sea otters at night when sightseeing, to avoid disrupting the natural environment, conservationists said.
Volunteers and law enforcement officials on multiple occasions last year spotted people using powerful lights to look for sea otters in the Taihu (太湖) area, the Kinmen Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation Association said in a report on Jan. 31.
This behavior — sometimes encouraged or tolerated by tour guides — contravenes the Wildlife Conservation Act (野生動物保育法) and is punishable by fines, the association said.
Photo: CNA
Bright lights at night can make otters feel unsafe and abandon the area, which could diminish the local population or lead to an increase in otter deaths from collisions with vehicles on the road, it said.
A study it conducted showed that the number of otters on the island declined to 100 to 150, the association said.
A westward migration of otters from Taihu could cause an imbalance in the species’ distribution in Kinmen and endanger their survival, it said.
Tourism based on observing wildlife is a positive activity, but people must avoid behaviors that would damage the environment, it said.
The association said that last year it treated 322 avians, of which 71 died on arrival, and 366 snakes, of which 35 died.
The association urged people not to keep wild animals as pets, saying that they could stop eating food out of distress, get aggressive or spread zoonotic diseases.
People can dial 911 if they see an injured snake, call 118 to summon help for stranded whales, dolphins and sea turtles, and contact the association to deal with dead or wounded otters via Facebook or by dialing 082-333-587, it said.
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